Forget poverty. Let’s talk about business
In an article I just finished for How Magazine on the future of design, I used Paul Polak as an example of why generalists are so important to the world right now. I said, “For example, it would be easy to think of global development pioneer Paul Polak as an expert in alleviating poverty, but […]
Practical Action Consulting is offering Participatory Market Systems Development training at the SEEP Annual Conference
Practical Action Practical Action Consulting (PAC) is holding a 2-day training workshop to introduce practitioners to the Participatory Market Systems Development (PMSD) approach at the SEEP Annual Conference in Washington DC. This technical training is aimed at enterprise and inclusive market development practitioners who wish to gain a greater understanding of Practical Action’s approach to […]
The Next Digital Revolution
In May this year I had the pleasure of speaking at Seoul Digital Forum (Korea). I was stimulated and challenged by Steve Ballmer’s keynote address in the morning, especially the description of the new Windows 8 and all its bells and whistles. But I had one problem with it. What Steve talked about has no […]
The Tax Code, Business, Poverty and Low-Income Workers
There are many strong arguments to be made in favour of the effectiveness of business fighting poverty. Some of them are that: the best anti-poverty programme is a job; jobs are most likely to be produced by the private sector; companies often pay taxes which support social programmes; and the supply chains of corporations often […]
Charting the Change from BPO to BoP: Training the Next Generation of Skilled Labor in India
Before the services industry boom, the choice for a young graduate in India was very limited. You had to be an engineer or doctor to even think of getting into decent salary league, let alone high-paying salary league. No one can deny the business process outsourcing (BPO) boom was the ultimate game changer, as the […]
Sport for Change
Sport has long been recognised as having the potential to play a role in society with intrinsic benefits in terms of physical health and emotional well being, and the ability to contribute to issues such as crime prevention and increased educational attainment. Within the NGO sector, Sport for Change programmes have generally been delivered in […]
Sport fights social and economic discrimination: the Olympics and beyond
In its series on the social legacy of the Olympics, the International Platform on Sport and Development took a magnifying glass to some of the most contentious issues surrounding the Olympics. Contributors to the series examined the potential the Olympics have in garnering support for one potent idea: sport can and does make a difference […]
Running Across Borders
Malcolm Anderson is the Co-Founder of Running Across Borders, an inspiring organization that seeks to expand economic opportunities to East African youth through running. Malcolm truly is at the intersection of international development and athletics. He holds a Masters degree in African Studies (Oxford 2008) and a MA in International Relations (St Andrews 2006) and […]
Tanzania trip highlights Olympic International Inspiration benefits
By Lord Sebastian Coe, Olympic Champion & Chairman, London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) This February was slightly different to my usual one. Instead of facing the cold snap in the UK, I was put through my paces by an eight-year-old child during a visit to an International Inspiration project. I […]
Interview: Wilson Kiriungi, CEO RUN with Kenyans
Interview by Chris Markl, Founder, Kourage Athletics Wilson Kiriungi is the Founder and CEO of RUN with KENYANS. I first began talking with Wilson about 2-years ago, when both of our organizations launched. We’ve shared our vision for the future of Kenya, fantastic conversations and some beers. There is no one who I’ve encountered that […]
The Fairtrade Football Story
The manufacturing of quality footballs has changed little since the 1960s when leather balls where phased out in favour of plastic and artificial materials but the actual process of making footballs, stitching the panels together by hand, has changed little over decades. The stitching process of making a football is still typified by high levels […]
International Inspiration helps young people choose a brighter future
After becoming an International Inspiration Ambassador in 2009, former sprinter and hurdler Colin Jackson visited one of its projects in Trinidad and Tobago. Having collected a host of World, European and Commonwealth gold medals over the years, Colin witnessed gold medal moments first-hand on the small Caribbean islands, where International Inspiration – London 2012’s international […]
Fairtrade Olympics
Last Friday, London, the largest Fairtrade City in the World, welcomed the London 2012 Olympic Games that are the Fairest Olympics the World has ever seen. During the Games, an estimated 10 million Fairtrade bananas from the Windward Islands and South America will be eaten, 7.5 million cups of Fairtrade tea served, 14 million cups […]
The Power of Business-Driven Development
In 2011, Africa received $7 billion USD more in foreign direct investment than foreign aid, providing unprecedented potential for large-scale economic growth and opportunity. In fact, as companies expand their operations in frontier markets, we are witnessing businesses from developed and developing countries alike delivering a profound, positive impact through employment opportunities, training and education, […]
Kourage: The Power of Sport to Fight Poverty
I’m Chris Markl an economics professor and an expert on foreign investment and job creation. I’m also the founder of Kourage Athletics. Kourage Athletics is Kenya’s running brand. Our mission is to leverage the tradition of Kenyan runners to create authentically kenyan running apparel. In addition Kourage seeks to become the first African brand that […]
Getting Google to Gaza: Creating shared value in the world’s toughest places
Over the past few years, for-profit and non-profit partners have been experimenting with new ways of working together, creating what’s often now referred to as ‘shared value’. At its heart this concept is about bringing companies and NGOs together and leveraging the expertise of both, in order to achieve the greatest possible social and economic […]
THE SOURCE AWARDS – REWARDING OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN FASHION AND SUSTAINABILITY
The SOURCE Awards put the spotlight on the most innovative and inspirational businesses, individuals, and initiatives in the fashion industry, globally. The awards recognise excellence in 12 different categories, from design innovation to brand leadership across women’s, men’s, accessories, and children’s wear, sustainable supply / manufacture, retail, and individual contribution. SOURCE recognises that sustainable practices […]
Inclusive Business – The Next Frontier for Corporate Responsibility
Anne Stubert, Senior Consultant, Corporate Citizenship Since its foundation in 1997, Corporate Citizenship has worked with leading sustainable businesses around the world, advising them on all aspects of what it means to be a responsible business. Over the past few years, our clients and partners have increasingly explored the opportunities of Inclusive Business and our […]
Paul Polak – At Least a Million
For many years I have been a vocal advocate for what I call the “Don’t Bother Trilogy” in the practice of design, which states: 1. If you haven’t had good conversations with at least 25 customers before you start 2. If the product or service you design doesn’t pay for itself three times in the […]
2012 Series: Understanding and enhancing business impact on development
